Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he is open to improved relations with Israel, but the country must first display "more sensitive" policies toward the Palestinians.
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Erdogan told a group of journalists in Qatar late Tuesday that better ties with Israel would be "beneficial" for peace in the wider region.
"But at this point, Israel needs to be more sensitive concerning its Palestinian policy. It needs to be sensitive about Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque," he said in reference to the Temple Mount.
"As soon as we detect the sensitivities, we will do our best and take steps [for better ties]," Erdogan said.
The Turkish leader's comments were reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency and other Turkish media on Wednesday.
Once robust regional allies, relations between Israel and Turkey have frayed throughout Erdogan's tenure, during which the Turkish leader has been an outspoken critic of Israel's policies toward the Palestinians.
Israel, for its part, is upset by Erdogan's warm relations with Hamas, the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip.
In a sign of improving ties, however, Erdogan has recently held telephone calls with President Isaac Herzog as well as with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett — during which the premier thanked the Turkish leader for his role in the release of an Israeli couple who were arrested in Istanbul on trumped-up suspicions of spying.
The steps toward a rapprochement with Israel come as Turkey has been trying to end its international isolation by normalizing its troubled ties with several countries in the region, including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
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Speaking to reporters accompanying him in the Qatari capital Doha, Erdogan added that Turkey may launch a similar process with Egypt as well.
Noting that Turkey warmly welcomed the request of the United Arab Emirates to mend ties, Erdogan said steps were being taken to further enhance broken relations.
"Our foreign minister and intelligence units will play an active role regarding relations with Abu Dhabi," Erdoğan said, and added: "A similar process could happen with Israel too, why not?"
